Fez Travelers Recommend

Three days in Fez allow you to experience the city’s ancient walled medina, delicious food, and vibrant markets, and enjoy a hammam steam bath. But you can also travel far beyond the city, venturing into the Rif or Middle Atlas mountains, to ancient Volubilis, or as far as the Erg Chebbi dunes. Here’s how to get the most out of three days in Fez.

Day 1: Fez Fantastic

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Fez’s medina dates back over 1,100 years. Start the day with a walking tour through its dynamic warren of streets. Discover historic madrassas (Islamic schools) and Kairaouine Mosque, which includes one of the world’s oldest universities, then immerse yourself in art at the Dar Batha Museum, once a royal palace. See traditional crafts at the Chouara Tannery; browse carpets and perfumes; and watch fountains dance against colorful tiles. Treat yourself to a cooking class for lunch, shopping in the souk and preparing Moroccan signature dishes such as tagine, couscous, or Fez’s favorite pastilla (sweet meat pie). Travel out to Art Naji, where some of the city’s finest potters labor, then start the evening by luxuriating in a hammam steam bath. Finish with a sophisticated dinner at one of the city’s palace restaurants.

Day 2: Mountain Magic

It’s a long way to go if you only have three days in Fez, but if a desert trip is on your Morocco bucket list, head south for an overnight adventure among the Saharan dune sea called Erg Chebbi. Typical tours include a sunset camel ride through the dunes, an overnight stay in a Berber camp with barbecue and stargazing, and stops in the Middle Atlas and an oasis along the way. Alternatively, stay closer to Fez with a trip to your choice of Moroccan mountains. Travel north to the Rif and the “blue city” of Chefchaouen, where cobbled lanes run down the hillside in shades of vivid blue and white and the medina is a shopper’s dream. Or head south to the Middle Atlas, with mountain lakes, cedar forests, Barbary macaques, and cool cities. Back in Fez, wrap up your day with a street-food safari.

Day 3: Royal Route

Spend your final day in the area exploring one or more of three heritage sites: Meknes, Moulay Idriss, and Volubilis. Founded in the 11th century and, like Fez, once a capital of Morocco, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Meknes offers opulent imperial gates, a grand city square, and a wealth of palaces. A pilgrimage site for Muslims, Moulay Idriss is a charming hilltop town, although the mausoleum that makes it sacred is off-limits to non-Muslims. The UNESCO-listed Roman ruins of Volubilis, nearby, are Morocco’s best-preserved, known for their elaborate mosaics and the storks that nest atop the columns in season. Back in Fez, make time for dinner in a restaurant in a traditional riad (courtyard home), then say farewell with mint tea or Moroccan cocktails on the roof.

With two days in Fez, not only can you discover the walled medina (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), enjoy a hammam steam bath, and take a cooking course, but you’ll also have time to explore beyond the city, heading into the Middle Atlas or Rif mountains or taking in the Roman city Volubilis. Here’s how to make the most of 48 hours in Fez.

Day 1: Fez Fantasia

Morning: Spend the morning roaming the narrow streets of Fez’s ancient medina. Check off signature sights, from the converted royal palace Dar Batha Museum to the Kairaouine Mosque, whose complex includes one of the oldest universities in the world. Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and scents of leatherworks, tinkling fountains, and vibrant souks (markets).

Afternoon: Food is one of the great joys of any visit to Morocco, so devote this afternoon to a cooking class. Shop for spices and fresh produce at a souk, then prepare a lunchtime feast, perhaps couscous, tagine, or pastilla (sweet and savory pie). After lunch, journey to Art Naji to watch some of Fez’s finest ceramicists in action.

Night: Indulge in an ancient ritual that dates back to Roman times: a hammam steam bath. Opt for a luxurious, spa-style experience or visit a more traditional city bath. Finish the night with contemporary Moroccan fare at a restaurant in one of the traditional courtyard houses known as a riad.

Day 2: Moroccan Magic

Day: With just two days in Fez, the desert is out of reach, so seek the cool of the mountains instead. Head north for the Rif and the blue-washed cobbled lanes of the photogenic highland village Chefchaouen. Head south to the Middle Atlas for cedar forests, Barbary macaques, scenic Lake Dait Aoua, and the leafy cities of Ifrane and Azrou. Alternatively, check off two destinations in one day, with a combo trip to Meknes, another imperial Moroccan city, and Volubilis, the UNESCO World Heritage Site that houses the nation’s best-preserved Roman ruins.

Night: Nibble as you stroll the city on a Fez food tour that pairs simple fare such as dates, cheese, olives, and nougat with signature street eats from shawarma to pasties and harira (bean soup). Wrap up the night with a cocktail in a courtyard bar and toast your stay in Fez.

With a history dating back more than 1,100 years, Fez is Morocco in a nutshell, from its warrenlike medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to the mounds of colorful spices in its souks. One day in Fez yields a good overview as you stroll the medina, learn Moroccan cooking, and enjoy a hammam steam bath. Here’s how.

Morning: Medina Magic

Ancient Fez has been the capital of Morocco many a time, and a walking tour of its medina is a journey into a world where ancient crafts and knowledge merge with the hubbub of a modern, developing city. See the 9th-century Kairaouine Mosque, one of the world’s oldest universities, the Andalusian Mosque, and the historic madrassas (Koranic schools) that made Fez a capital of learning. Inhale the stench of tanning leather at the Chouara Tannery and the scent of perfumes in the souks, and discover traditional arts and crafts at the Dar Batha Museum, once a royal palace.

Afternoon: Culinary Culture

For lunch, learn to cook Moroccan food. Start by bargaining for fresh produce and spices at a souk, then watch a demo or get hands-on as you prepare an authentic Moroccan menu. Master the art of couscous, tagines, the sweet and savory pie known as pastilla, or traditional soups, grills, salads, and breads, and wash it all down with lashings of mint tea. If time permits, head out to Art Naji to see some of the city’s finest potters and mosaic makers in action and perhaps pick up a ceramic or two.

Night: Bathing Beauty

With a lineage dating back to Roman times, the classic hammam steam bath is an essential Moroccan ritual. Start your evening off with sheer indulgence as you progress from a hot steam room to a warm bathing room and a cool room for resting, with scrubs, body polishes, and massages along the way. Refreshed and renewed, soak up the sights and scents of the city at night, then feast on Moroccan cuisine at a restaurant in a traditional riad, or courtyard home. Wrap up the night with mint tea and perhaps even a hookah pipe on the rooftop.

As the original capital and the oldest of Morocco’s imperial cities, Fez is home to some of the country’s most impressive traditional Moroccan architecture, concentrated in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Medina of Fez. Don’t miss these celebrated mosques, madrasas, and palaces during your stay.

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace in Fez, also known as Dar el-Makhzen, has one of the most impressive facades in town. The palace grounds are not open to visitors, but the giant brass doors, zellij tile work, and carved cedar wood frames are impressive in their own right.

Borj Sud and Borj Nord

These two imposing structures, both built by Sultan Ahmed al-Mansour during the end of the 16th century, offer the best panoramic views over the city of Fez and the old medina. The Borj Nord now houses a national armory museum, also worth a look.

Kairaouine University and Mosque

One of the largest mosques in North Africa, the Kairaouine Mosque, is joined by one of the world’s oldest universities. While non-Muslims are not permitted within much of the structure, the recently restored university library is open to the public.

Al-Attarine and Bou Inania Madrasas

Founded in the heart of the Medina of Fez, these two madrassas are best known for their inner courtyards, adorned with spectacular displays of calligraphy, carved plaster and cedar, as well as stunning zellij mosaics. Both are open to non-Muslims.

Bab Boujloud

Situated on the edge of the old city, this ornamental gateway (sometimes spelled Bab Boujeloud) into the heart of the city was built in 1913 on the site of the original 12th-century gate. The towering horseshoe arch is decorated with blue and green mosaic tiles.

Winding their way through the narrow streets and alleyways of the old Medina (Fes el-Bali), the traditional souks allow travelers to feel like they are stepping into a world that time forgot. From colorful textiles to handcrafted leather bags, these are some of the city’s best markets.

Tanner’s Quarter

Perhaps the most famous of Fez’s souks is the Tanner’s Quarter, where animal hides have been transformed into leather goods using the same traditional methods for centuries. Many leather shops will offer visitors a bird’s-eye view of the colorful dye pits, as well as a sprig of mint to help with the intense smell.

Spice and Perfume Souk

For a change of scene (and smell), head for Souk El Attarine—the spice and perfume market located near the Medersa El Attarine. These fragrant streets are lined with shops selling piles of colorful spices, dried fruits, and nuts, as well as jasmine, rose water, henna, and other beauty products.

Gold Soul

Situated in the old mellah, or Jewish Quarter, the gold souk is among the best places in northern Morocco for buying gold and gemstone jewelry.

Henna Souk

One of the oldest marketplaces in the Fez Medina, the henna souk (souk el henna) sells a variety of traditional Moroccan cosmetics, including henna and argan oil, that are still used routinely by locals. Some of the tree-shaded stalls sell ceramics as well.